Apparatus for shaping filaments.



1,5. MARSHALL.

APPARATUS FOR SHAPING FILAMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I0. 1916.

1,298,533. Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

, 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

f yrNTaR: JAMES E- MARSHALL,

J. E. MARSHALL.

APPARATUS FOR SHAPING FILAMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10. l9l6.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fmyz'zxz'raa UAME'S' E- MHSHALL W- .H'zs .Arranzvzryt STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. MARSHALL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR SHAPING FILAMEN'IS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

Application filed May 10, 1916. Serial No. 96,727.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES E. MARSHALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, Cuyahoga county, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Shaping F ila ments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus for shaping wire, as coiled tungsten lamp filament-s, according to the method set forth in pending Hughes application Serial No. 61,408, filed November 13, 1915.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus whereby the filaments may be shaped or crimped in a sure and reliable manner, with a minimum of labor and with great facility, and in accordance therewith the filaments, which have been previously prepared for the crimping operation, are fed, preferably one by one, into a receptacle or special hopper located above horizontally disposed shaping rollers and from this receptacle the filament lengths are caused to fall transversely of their lengths-between the horizontally disposed crimping rollers. The rollers are actuated, preferably intermittently, to crimp and deliver the filaments to a suitable receptacle and are made adjustable toward and away from each other to regulate the degree of crimping.

My invention will be more particularly pointed out in the description of the following drawings which form one complete embodiment of my invention, and in the attached claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my ap paratus; Fig. 2 is a view of the rollers with one in section; Fig. 3 is a plan view; Fig. 4 is a side view; and Fig. 5 is a view of a filament length before and after the crimping operation.

Referring to the drawings, suitable standards 1, carried by a base 2, support a platform 3 for receiving the prepared filament lengths. The standards carry near their upper ends a roller 4, suitably journaled therein, which cooperates with a roller 5 to shape and crimp the filament lengths. The roller 5 is journaled ona standard 6 and this standard is mounted in a trunnion 7 for adjusting the roller 5 toward or away from the roller 4. The adjustment is brought about bymeans of adjustable nuts 8 on tie rods 9, the rods being pivoted at one end on standards 1 and passing through ears on the standard 6. The crimping rollers are actuated in the manner now described. The roller a is geared to a ratchet wheel 10 through meshing gears 11, the larger gear 11 being on the shaft of ratchet 10. This shaft has loosely mounted on one end thereof an actuatin lever 12 which carries a pawl, as indicatec for actuating the ratchet. The standard (5 carries on a bracket, at right angles thereto a pivoted framework 13, the upper part ofwhich cooperates with platform 3 to form a trough or gutter-like receptacle or hopper 14;. Normally the frame-work 13 is urged in a clockwise direction by means of a spring 15, thereby closing the hopper. The framework 13 is connected to actuating lever 12 through a crank arm 16 and the rod 17, the free end of the latter engaging a shoulder on the short end of the lever 12. The point of engagement with rod 17 is made adjustable by means of a nut 26 on the free end. By manipulating the lever 12 in a counter clockwise direction the tie rod 17 is urged over toward the left, thereby swinging the frame 13 outwardly against the tension of spring 15 and at the same time causing the pawl to slip over one or more teeth on the ratchet wheel 10. The outward position is illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. at. Upon release of the lever 12 (it may be actuated either by hand or foot) the spring 15 brings all elements back to normal position and at the same time actuates the gears 11 through pawl and ratchet mechanism 10. The roller 5 is rotated by frictional engagement with roller 4: when the pawl and ratchet operate the gears 11.

The operator feeds the filament lengths 19, preferably one by one, into a hopper 14, and the hopper being trough-like in form the filaments readily arrange themselves longitudinally thereof and of the rollers, and

when the frame 13 is actuatedto open up the hopper the filament falls between the rollers t and 5. On the return of the frame 13 therollers are rotated as before described to crimp the filament 19 into a form similar to that designated at 20. The crimped filament-s 20 slide down chute 21 into a suitable receptacle (not shown) and are subsequently mounted on a lamp filament support, as shown in Fig. 5.

The crimping rollers 4 and 5 embody the Hughes invention above referred to, but

1 have certain improvements 1n add1t1on..

Each roller comprises a central-shaft with a series of metal rings 22 closely fitting thereon. The metal rings serve as spacers for the crimping rings or flanges 23, and the latter cooperate with the resilient facings 24 to shape the wire in accordance with Hughes invention. The flanges 23 preferably have serrated, knurled, or roughened edges 25 for more securely gripping the filament length and thereby insuring trans verse movement at every point, of the filament length during the crimping operation. It was found that -a smooth edge sometimes permitted one end of the filament length to slip and hence lag behind the other end, resulting, in nonunlform crimping.

Guards 27 are fixed below the rollers and adjacent thereto for gathering the crimped filaments from the rollers and delivering,

them to the chute 21. 1

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have set forth one complete embodiment of my invention, but it is understood that mv invention is capable of assuming other forms than those illustrated and should not be restricted except as particularly pointed out in. the attached claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In an apparatus for shaping filament lengths, two cooperating-crimping rollers, a hopper containing filament lengths located above saidrollers, means for opening said hopper to feed the filaments transversely between said rollers and a spring for returning said hopper to its closed position and lengths, two cooperating rollers, one having a resilient facing and the other having flanges arranged at right angles thereto co operating with grooves in said facing, in combination with means for feeding said filaments transversely of their lengths and actuating said rollers.

- 4. In an apparatus for shaping filament lengths,-two cooperating rollers having resilient facings and crimping flanges with serrated edges in combination with means for feeding the filament lengths transversely of their lengths and actuating said rollers. 5. In an apparatus for shaping"filament lengths, a crimping roller in combination with a cooperating roller which is adjustable toward and away from said first named roller at least one of said rollers having a resilient facing and means for feeding the filaments transversely of their lengths to and actuating said rollers.

6. In an apparatus for shaping wires, the combination of two'cooperating rollers, at least one of which has a resilient facing and at least one of which carries crimping means, and means for intermittently feeding a wire transversely of its length between said rollers and for actuating said rollers after each feeding operation.

7. In an apparatus for .shaping wires, two cooperating rollers, at least one of which has ,a resilient facing and at least one of which has crimping flanges, in combination with meansfor feeding a wire transversely of its length and for actuating said rollers.

8. In an apparatus for shaping wires, a crimping roller in combination with a cooperating roller which is adjustable toward and away from said first named roller, at least one of said rollers having a resilient facing, and means for feeding the wires transversely of their lengths to and actuating said rollers.

Inwitness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of May, 1916.

' JAMES E. MARSHALL. 

